Brown County, Kansas Genealogy
Guide to Brown County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Tax Records
- 2.27 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Albert Gallatin Brown (1813-1880), United States senator from Mississippi at the time of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Other legislators, however, stated it was named for O. H. Browne, a member of that legislature.[2] The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Brown County Courthouse
601 Oregon Street
Hiawatha, Kansas 66434
Phone: 785.742.2581
Brown County Website
Clerk District Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1800’s and marriage records.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1857. [1]
Brown County, Kansas Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1885 | 1857 | 1885 | 1800s | 1857 | 1857 | 1855 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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See also: National Register of Historic Places in Brown County, Kansas
Indian Reservation
The Kickapoo Indian Reservation is located within the boundaries of Brown County.
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 2,607 | — |
| 1870 | 6,823 | 161.7% |
| 1880 | 12,817 | 87.8% |
| 1890 | 20,319 | 58.5% |
| 1900 | 22,369 | 10.1% |
| 1910 | 21,314 | −4.7% |
| 1920 | 20,949 | −1.7% |
| 1930 | 20,553 | −1.9% |
| 1940 | 17,395 | −15.4% |
| 1950 | 14,651 | −15.8% |
| 1960 | 13,229 | −9.7% |
| 1970 | 11,685 | −11.7% |
| 1980 | 11,955 | 2.3% |
| 1990 | 11,128 | −6.9% |
| 2000 | 10,724 | −3.6% |
| 2010 | 9,984 | −6.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Kansas became a territory in 1854 and the first territory census taken was in 1855. It was also enumerated as Kansas Territory in the 1860 Federal Census, although there were 15 counties that were marked with "no population" in them. The state continued to take state censuses after it was admitted to the Union in 1861.[7] See links listed below.
State and Territorial Census Records[edit | edit source]
- 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at FamilySearch — Index and images
- 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
- 1865 - Kansas State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1875 - Kansas State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1885 - Kansas State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — images
- 1895 - Kansas State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1905 - Kansas State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index
- 1915 - Kansas State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1919-1961 - Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry — Partial index (4 counties) and images
- 1925 - Kansas State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — index
Federal Census Records[edit | edit source]
The 1870 Census was the first Federal Census taken for Kansas after it became a state in 1861.[8] For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Kansas Church Records.
- 1861-1918 - Kansas, Swedish Church Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch — index
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Kansas Land and Property for additional information about early Kansas land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Records
- 1887 Land Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
- 1904 Land Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
- 1919 and Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
- 1887 Land Plat book for Brown County - image of plat book
- Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
- 1796-1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
- 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
For more information see Kansas Land and Property
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Brown County, Kansas Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Kansas Local Histories.
Online County Histories
- Annals of Brown County, Kansas : From the Earliest Records to January 1, 1900. 1903. Compiled and published by Grant W. Harrington. Hiawatha, Kansas : G.W. Harrington. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History and Statistics of Brown County, Kansas. 1876. By Edmund Needham Morrill. Hiawatha, Kan. : Kansas Herald Book, News, and Job Office. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
- History of Brown County. (Title also known as A. N. Ruley's History of Brown County.) 1930. By Andrew Newton Ruley. Hiawatha, Kansas : [The Daily World]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Brown County, Kansas : Giving Brief Sketches.... (Title also known as History and Statistics of Brown County, Kansas.) 1876. By Edmund Needham Morrill. Hiawatha, Kan. : Kansas Herald Book, News, and Job Office. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A.N. Ruley's History of Brown County. (Title also known as History of Brown County.) 1976 Reprint. By Andrew Newton Ruley. [Marceline, Missouri] : Walsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A Pictorial History of Brown County, Kansas 1880-1991. 1992. By Hiawatha Daily World. Marceline, Missouri : Heritage House Pub. At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Brown County, Kansas Genealogy for European and African American settlers included:
- Missouri River
- Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon[9]
- California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California[10]
- Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[11]
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Military Records[edit | edit source]
Online Collections[edit | edit source]
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records.
Collections Covering Multiple Wars
- Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
- Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.
Civil War
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
- 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
Spanish-American War (1898)
- 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War I
- History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
- 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
World War II
- 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only
Korean War
Vietnam War
For further information see Kansas Military Records.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Soldiers from Brown County enlisted in:
- 1st Regiment, Companies A and B
- 2nd Infantry Regiment, Companies Dand G
- 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Company I
- 5th Cavalry Regiment, Companies G and L
- 7th Regiment, Companies A, C, H, and I
- 8th Regiment, Companies C and D
- 9th Regiment, Company A
- 11th Regiment, Company F
- 13th Regiment, Companies A, B, E, G, H, I
- 14th Cavalry Regiment , Companies A, H, L, K
- 16th Cavalry Regiment , Companies A, C, and K
- Nebraska 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Companies G and L
- Missouri Regiments 5 and 25
All regiments are Kansas Infantry unless otherwise indicated.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1864 - 1972 - Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1865 - 1874 - Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
- 1865 - 1984 - Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
- 1917 - 1918 - Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
For more information, see Kansas Newspapers.
Kansas Newspapers Online
- Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), free to Kansas residents through Kansas Historical Society
- GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
- Chronicling America - contains images of some Kansas newspapers; searching tips
- Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
Kansas Newspaper Catalogs
- Kansas Online Historical Newspapers - contains a list of known Kansas newspapers online and the websites they are found on
- U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Records
- 1854 - Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1854 - 1856 - Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Kansas, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, inventories, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Kansas, Brown and click Probate records.
Online Records
- 1803 – 1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
School Records[edit | edit source]
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Kansas tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Kansas Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Kansas Vital Records. For information about restrictions and costs for certificates, see the CDC Where to Write for Vital Records site.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1818 - 1936 Kansas, Births and Christenings, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911 at FamilySearch — Index
- 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
- 1840 - 1935 - Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935 at FamilySearch.org — Index
- 1854 - 1861 - KHS Kansas Marriage Index, 1854-1861 at Kansas Historical Society — Index
- 1861 - 1918 - Kansas, Swedish Church Vital Records, 1861-1918 at FamilySearch — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Brown County Genealogical Society 116 South 7th Street
Hiawatha, Kansas 66434-2307
E-mail: brcogenealogy@yahoo.com
Brown County Historical Society
611 Utah St
Hiawatha, KS 66434
Telephone Number: 785-742-3330
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Brown County Kansas Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Brown county KS, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- FamilySearch Catalog The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
- Brown County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Brown County, Kansas. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Brown, Kansas Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/kan/brown/ 7/24/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Brown, Kansas," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_County,_Kansas 7/24/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Brown County, Kansas. Page 248 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 234.
- ↑ “Kansas Research Outline”, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Department, 2000), 40.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "BROWN COUNTY, KANSAS," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_County,_Kansas#Communities, accessed 8 September 2017.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 118-119.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 119.
- ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in Oregon National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/oreg/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ National Park Service, "(Auto Tour Route) Maps" in California National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
- ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
